Winterization- Drain valve position

Wingnut23 · 10-23-2023, 03:04 PM

Hi,
2001 wf322r Minnie. I need to know what
Position the valves should be in order to prevent water from drainng. I put a gallon of rv antifreeze on the suction side of the pump. As fast as the pump is, it all drained out the back of the rv over the black water tank before I got any antifreze out of the vanity etc the manual isn't specific and not completly correct for my coach.

Morich · 10-23-2023, 03:57 PM

We may need some background info to cut the chase?
What is the situation? Has the RV been used and you know the plumbing is not broken/split and could be leaking at most any point.

Have you been using the RV so that you know the drains were closed at some point and now need to know where/how to open them?

Do you feel you know WHERE the valves and just need to know more about which way to turn them?

This is the plumbing diagram of your RV, but we do know that things can get changed so we can't trust that fully.
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...322r_plumb.pdf

It looks like water inlet is on driver's side and pump on far side? If you put a hose on the inlet on drivers side, can you spot a specific point where it comes out of a drain tube or just comes out all over??
Click this snip for better view!

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Wingnut23 · 10-23-2023, 04:40 PM

Thank you for your reply. I mainly need to know the position of the rear drain valves so I can get antifreeze out the faucets in the rear. I purchased it in February during a snowstorm. I was told by the seller that it had not had water to it. I spent the summer fixing several issues around the coach. I have not hooked it to water yet and now I see I
should have (doh). Anyway, After I purchased it I checked the panel and the greywater tank was full and this fall I removed the drain plug from the water heater and it was full. As far as I can tell all the previous owner did was open all the drain valves and call it good. Yes, that diagram matches the coach. I can open access panels and see that none of the lines are leaking.

Wingnut23 · 10-23-2023, 04:46 PM

I believe it's the drain valve under the vanity at the middle rear. it doesn't seem to matter weather I have the handle inline or at a right angle it still comes out somewhere over the black water tank..

Morich · 10-23-2023, 05:51 PM

Better idea of what you have helps!
A pretty big guess but I might lean toward it being a fitting that has frozen? But then I also don't know where you are and how cold it got?
Finding the tanks not drained might mean it doesn't get that cold? Or does it mean the other owner just did not do things right to keep it from freezing?
Doing this remote stuff leaves lots of questions, at times!
Does this seem to be somewhat right on where the black and grey tanks set?

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Lots of guess involved in that drawing but some of my thinking may help with what I'm seeing?

I don't spot on this drawing any drain valve in that area but it may be there! I normally think of the drains as being inline with a stub of pipe sticking out underneath so that when you open the valve, the water passes all the way down below the cover underneath before dropping out.
Is there any way to look from underneath to spot a stub of pipe sticking out for the drain? Or maybe an access hole left in the floor under the vanity so you could pull it up and peek at the pipes?

My two thoughts are that the handle or valve if there may be broken so that when the handle moves, the inside doesn't close and water runs out the drain?

Or is it a broken pipe that didn't get drained and froze? Those pipes are often above the bottom cover but below the floor level inside. Maybe just running across underneath the vanity and you might find a flap to remove?
Getting a look at things is the hard part but some ideas may help.

I think of the pipe or tubing as pretty flexible and the fittings are often harder plastic that breaks quicker. When I've looked at frozen, it seems the joints at fitting are more likely to be the problem.
Just as an idea, can you get a look at the places where the vanity pipes connect to the main run going left/right under it?

Or are you in far South Florida and I'm nuts for thinking about frozen pipes?

Are you needing to get this winterized soon or just needing it fixed?
For quicker, using air to blow out the lines might get it done without having to fix a leaking pipe before next week?

Ray,IN · 10-24-2023, 06:24 PM

Good reply Richard!

Morich · 10-24-2023, 06:36 PM

Some times I need to read far closer?
Rereading the whole posting, I see it was bought during a snow storm!

Wingnut23 · 10-29-2023, 05:54 PM

Record low tonight in Iowa. Supposed.to get down to 23 degrees! Luckily I just picked 2 galllons of antifreeze while I was in town and got it done yesterday. Turns out one of the valves under the vanity was in the wrong position. The manuals wrong. the handle should be at a right angle to the line.

Ray,IN · 10-29-2023, 06:33 PM

Yes that is the usual positioning. I wish mine was that simple. My drain valves are in a Tee fitting, so one way is normal use and 120° is the drain position. Then one valve is away from me, the other facing me,

I've wasted more antifreeze from not having them in the correct position than it would take to winterize one time. This time I pump about a gallon into my water heater. That's gonna be fun to flush next spring.